Vaillancourt excels in comedy on love

Monday

Dec 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM

By James A. Karis II Telegram & Gazette REVIEWER

Is enduring romantic love a realistic notion, or is it more often simply an illusion that tricks us just long enough to ensure the continuation of the species? Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party” takes a close look at marriage, divorce and the reasons for both — as The Stratton Players stage a fine rendition of this comedic study of love in the modern world.

Six guests — three men and three women — are invited to a mysterious private dinner party at a top restaurant in Paris. The men arrive first and it becomes clear that while they don’t know one another — and don’t particularly care for one another — they have certain things in common, the most prominent of which is that they are all divorced.

As they begin to speculate about the nature of the party, the women start to arrive. It soon becomes evident that this party features three divorced couples, one of them having been married twice. The remainder of the play explores the origins of the relationships and where they went wrong, leaving open the possibility for reconciliation.

The play, which premiered on Broadway in 2000, uses elements of farce to keep the subject matter from becoming too heavy, as the characters discuss the best and worst things their spouses ever did to them. It’s an interesting exercise from a playwright in the latter part of his career, who seems to use the scenarios to piece together his own philosophy of love and marriage.

On Saturday night, The Stratton Players offered a tight production to a full house.

Lynn Vaillancourt gave a deliciously devious performance as Gabrielle Buonocelli, while Jenny Leung showed a range of emotions as Yvonne Fouchet. None of the actors attempted a French accent, which is odd, considering the characters are Parisian. But then, they would likely be speaking French, and not English, in the first place.

The set design is clean and well done, featuring a dining area, a small bar and a few paintings hanging on pale blue walls. The show runs for about two hours, with one intermission.

Thomas More wrote, “Romantic love is an illusion. Most of us discover this truth at the end of a love affair or else when the sweet emotions of love lead us into marriage and then turn down their flames.”

What would Neil Simon have to say on the matter? “The Dinner Party” paints an ambiguous picture. For an 85-year-old playwright who has been married five times, it seems even he’s still trying to figure it out.